A mobile terminal device has a display for indicating guidance of a route retrieved by a route retriever and a GPS receiver for detecting the present location. A route retrieval server has a database for storing the present location of each bus running on bus lines and an alternative route guider for evaluating alternative bus route to provide guidance. When the guided route includes a walking route, the route retriever references the database based on the present location of the mobile terminal device to identify an alternative route that includes a bus. The alternative route guider compares the alternative route and guided route. When the alternative route is more favorable than the guided route, the alternative route guider sends alternative route information indicating presence of the alternative route to the mobile terminal device, displays the guided route on a display, and indicates the presence of the alternative route.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A navigation system, comprising: a route search server including a route searcher for referring to route search network data on a basis of a route search request that includes a departure location and a destination point and for searching for a guidance route that includes a route that makes use of transportation facilities; and a mobile terminal device including a display for displaying the guidance route searched by said route searcher and a GPS receiver for detecting a current position, wherein said route search server has an operation service information database in which the current position of each bus operating on a bus line is acquired and stored, and an alternative route searcher for evaluating and providing guidance for an alternative route that uses a bus, and wherein in the case that a walking route interval is included in said guidance route, said route searcher refers to said operation service information database on the basis of the current position of said mobile terminal device, and searches for an alternative route that substitutes for said walking route interval by specifying a bus that a user of said mobile terminal device can board; and said alternative route searcher compares route data of said alternative route and said guidance route, transmits alternative route information that shows the presence of an alternative route to said mobile terminal device in the case that an alternative route is a more advantageous route than the guidance route, and displays the guidance route on said display to provide notification of the alternative route.
2. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein said route searcher searches for a bus stop in a predetermined range of a mobile terminal device on the basis of the current position of the mobile terminal device when a search is made for said alternative route, refers to said operation service information database, specifies a bus that a user of said mobile terminal device can board, and searches for said alternative route.
3. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein said alternative route searcher compares the route data of said guidance route and said alternative route and determines whether the alternative route is more advantageous than the guidance route in relation to any one among a time of arrival at a destination point, a route fare, and a number of transfers.
4. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein said navigation system does not provide guidance about the availability of said alternative route in the case that a bus riding distance in said alternative route is less than a predetermined distance.
5. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein said navigation system does not provide guidance about the availability of said alternative route in the case that said mobile terminal device is not in a walking route interval or in the case that a route search that includes a bus line is set to be a route search condition.
6. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein said navigation system references said operation service information database, calculates a scheduled time until said bus specified for the user of said mobile terminal device arrives at the next scheduled bus stop, and does not provide guidance about the availability of said alternative route in the case that the scheduled time is less than a predetermined time.
7. A route search server, comprising: a route searcher for connecting via a network to a mobile terminal device having a display for displaying a guidance route and a GPS receiver for detecting the current position, referring to a route search network data on the basis of a route search request that includes a departure point and a destination point, and searching for a guidance route that includes the use of transportation facilities, wherein said route search server has an operation service information database for acquiring and storing the current position of each bus operating along a bus line, and an alternative route guider for evaluating and providing guidance along an alternative route that uses a bus, and wherein in the case that a walking route interval is included in said guidance route, said route searcher refers to said operation service information database on the basis of the current position of said mobile terminal device, specifies a bus that can be boarded by the user of said mobile terminal device, and searches for an alternative route for substituting said walking route interval; and said alternative route guider compares the route data of said alternative route and said guidance route, transmits the alternative route information indicating the availability of an alternative route to said mobile terminal device in the case that the alternative route is a more advantageous route than the guidance route, displays the guidance route on said display, and provides guidance about the availability of an alternative route.
8. The route search server according to claim 7 , wherein said route searcher searches for a bus stop in a predetermined range of the mobile terminal device on the basis of the current position of the mobile terminal device when a search is made for said alternative route, refers to said operation service information database, specifies a bus that a user of said mobile terminal device can board, and searches for said alternative route.
9. The route search server according to claim 7 , wherein said alternative route guider compares the route data of said guidance route and said alternative route and determines whether the alternative route is more advantageous than the guidance route in relation to any one among a time of arrival at a destination point, a route fare, and a number of transfers.
10. The route search server according to claim 7 , wherein said route search server does not provide guidance about the availability of said alternative route in the case that the bus riding distance in said alternative route is less than a predetermined distance.
11. The route search server according to claim 7 , wherein said route search server does not provide guidance about the availability of said alternative route in the case that said mobile terminal device is not in a walking route interval or in the case that a route search that includes a bus line is set to be a route search condition.
12. The route search server according to claim 7 , wherein said route search server references said operation service information database, calculates the scheduled time until said bus specified for the user of said mobile terminal device arrives at the next scheduled bus stop, and does not provide guidance about the availability of said alternative route in the case that the scheduled time is less than a predetermined time.
13. A mobile terminal device that connects via a network to a route search server provided with route searcher for referring to route search network data on the basis of a route search request that includes a departure location and a destination point and searching for a guidance route that includes a route that makes use of transportation facilities, and comprises a display for displaying a guidance route searched by said route searcher and a GPS receiver for detecting the current position, wherein said route search server has an operation service information database for acquiring and storing the current position of each bus operating along a bus line, and alternative route guider for evaluating and providing guidance along an alternative route that uses a bus, wherein said route searcher, in the case that a walking route interval is included in said guidance route, refers to said operation service information database on the basis of the current position of said mobile terminal device, specifies a bus that can be boarded by the user of said mobile terminal device, and searches for an alternative route for substituting said walking route interval; said alternative route guider compares the route data of said alternative route and said guidance route, and transmits the alternative route information indicating the availability of an alternative route to said mobile terminal device in the case that the alternative route is a more advantageous route than the guidance route; and said mobile terminal device displays the guidance route on said display means and provides guidance about the availability of an alternative route.
14. A route guidance method in a route search server having a route searcher for connecting via a network to a mobile terminal device having a display for displaying a guidance route and a GPS receiver for detecting the current position, referring to a route search network data on the basis of a route search request that includes a departure point and a destination point, and searching for a guidance route that includes the use of transportation facilities, wherein said route search server has an operation service information database for acquiring and storing the current position of each bus operating along a bus line, and an alternative route guider for evaluating and providing guidance along an alternative route that uses a bus, the route guidance method comprising: a step in which, in the case that a walking route interval is included in said guidance route, said route searcher refers to said operation service information database on the basis of the current position of said mobile terminal device, specifies a bus that can be boarded by the user of said mobile terminal device, and searches for an alternative route for substituting said walking route interval; and a step in which said alternative route guider compares the route data of said alternative route and said guidance route, and transmits the alternative route information indicating the availability of an alternative route to said mobile terminal device in the case that the alternative route is a more advantageous route than the guidance route.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 23, 2007
March 19, 2013
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